Chick Corea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chick Corea
Corea in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Armando Anthony Corea
Born	(1941-06-12)June 12, 1941 Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	February 9, 2021(2021-02-09) (aged 79) Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion post-bop avant-garde jazz Latin jazz classical progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Musician composer bandleader
Instruments	Piano keyboards vibraphone drums
Years active	1962–2021
Labels	ECM Polydor Stretch Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Miles Davis Circle Return to Forever Chick Corea Elektric Band Chick Corea's Akoustic Band Five Peace Band Gary Burton Hiromi Uehara Herbie Hancock

Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (born June 12, 1941 – died February 9, 2021) was an American jazz musician. He was a talented composer, pianist, keyboard player, and bandleader. Sometimes, he also played percussion.

Chick Corea wrote many famous jazz songs. Some of his best-known pieces include "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows". These songs are now considered jazz classics.

In the late 1960s, he was part of Miles Davis's band. This was a time when a new style called jazz fusion was being created. Later, in the 1970s, Chick Corea started his own band called Return to Forever. Many people think he was one of the most important jazz pianists of his time. He often worked with other musicians and explored many different music styles. Chick Corea won 27 Grammy Awards and was nominated over 60 times!

Early Life and Music Start

Armando Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1941. His parents were Anna and Armando J. Corea. His family came from southern Italy.

Chick's father was a trumpet player who led a Dixieland jazz band. This type of jazz was popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He introduced Chick to the piano when Chick was only four years old. Growing up, Chick was surrounded by jazz music. He was inspired by famous jazz artists like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

When he was eight, Chick started playing the drums. This helped him think of the piano as a drum, which influenced his unique playing style. He learned a lot about piano on his own. He also took lessons from a concert pianist named Salvatore Sullo. Sullo taught him about classical music, which made Chick interested in writing his own songs.

Chick started playing music for audiences while he was still in high school. He moved to New York City to study music. He continued his musical journey in New York, becoming a professional musician.

Music Career Highlights

Corea in 1976

Chick Corea began his professional music career in the early 1960s. He played with many great musicians like Mongo Santamaria and Stan Getz. In 1966, he recorded his first album, Tones for Joan's Bones. Two years later, he released a very popular album called Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. He made this album with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Miroslav Vitouš.

In 1968, Chick Corea joined Miles Davis's band. He played on famous albums like Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. When playing live, he often used an electric piano. He would change its sound using a special effect called a ring modulator. He stayed with Miles Davis's band until 1970.

After leaving Miles Davis, Chick Corea and bassist Dave Holland formed their own jazz group called Circle. This group also included Anthony Braxton and Barry Altschul. They played a style of jazz that was very free and experimental. In 1971, Chick Corea decided to record solo piano music. These recordings became the albums Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 and Piano Improvisations Vol. 2.

Jazz Fusion Music

Corea with Al Di Meola and Return to Forever in Rochester, New York, 1976

Chick Corea's band Return to Forever was named after their 1972 album. This band used both acoustic (regular) and electronic instruments. At first, their music was inspired by Hispanic music. The first version of the band included Flora Purim on vocals and percussion, Joe Farrell on flute, and Airto Moreira on drums. Stanley Clarke played the acoustic bass.

Later, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Bill Connors joined the band. This new version of Return to Forever mixed Latin music with rock and funk. Guitarist Al Di Meola later replaced Bill Connors. This group made popular albums like Where Have I Known You Before and Romantic Warrior.

In 1976, Corea released My Spanish Heart. This album was also influenced by Hispanic music. It featured his wife, vocalist Gayle Moran, and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. The album blended jazz and flamenco music.

Playing with Other Musicians

Bobby McFerrin and Corea at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2008

In the 1970s, Chick Corea started playing duets with vibraphonist Gary Burton. A duet is when two musicians play together. They recorded several albums, including Crystal Silence in 1972. They played together again in 2006 and released a new album, The New Crystal Silence, which won a Grammy Award.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Corea performed a series of concerts with another famous pianist, Herbie Hancock. They played each other's songs and also music by classical composers like Béla Bartók. In 1982, Corea also performed a live duet with classical pianist Friedrich Gulda.

Corea performs with Béla Fleck in 2008

In 2007, Corea recorded an album called The Enchantment with banjo player Béla Fleck. They also toured together. In 2008, Corea worked with Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara on a live album called Duet. They even played a concert at the famous Budokan arena in Tokyo.

In 2015, he played more duet concerts with Herbie Hancock. They continued to play together, sometimes adding synthesizers to their performances.

Later Music Projects

Chick Corea had several other bands. These included the Chick Corea Elektric Band and a smaller trio version called the Akoustic Band. He signed a record deal in 1986 and released many albums with these groups.

The Akoustic Band released albums like their self-titled one in 1989. This band brought Corea back to playing traditional jazz with a piano, bass, and drums. Most of his later recordings featured the acoustic piano.

In 1992, Chick Corea started his own record label called Stretch Records.

Chick Corea's 75th birthday. Corea and John McLaughlin, Blue Note Jazz Club, New York City, December 10, 2016.

In 2001, the Chick Corea New Trio released the album Past, Present & Futures. This album mostly featured songs written by Corea himself. He also played on the 1998 album Like Minds with old friends like Gary Burton and Pat Metheny.

Later in his career, Corea also explored contemporary classical music. He wrote his first piano concerto (a piece for piano and orchestra) and performed it in 1999 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He also wrote a String Quartet (a piece for four string instruments) in 2004.

Corea continued to record jazz fusion albums like To the Stars (2004) and Ultimate Adventure (2006). Ultimate Adventure won a Grammy Award.

In 2008, the third version of Return to Forever reunited for a world tour. This tour received great reviews. He also worked on a CD with the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer.

A new group called the Five Peace Band started a world tour in 2008. This band included John McLaughlin, who Corea had played with before in Miles Davis's band. Other members included saxophonist Kenny Garrett and bassist Christian McBride.

Chick Corea celebrated his 75th birthday in 2016. He played with more than 20 different groups over six weeks at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. He once said, "I pretty well ignore the numbers that make up 'age'. It seems to be the best way to go. I have always just concentrated on having the most fun I can with the adventure of music."

Personal Life

Chick Corea had two children, Thaddeus and Liana, with his first wife, Joanie. Later, in 1972, he married his second wife, vocalist and pianist Gayle Moran.

Corea was interested in a self-help philosophy that he felt helped him connect more deeply with his music and his audience. He believed it helped him see his potential for communication was much greater than he thought.

Chick Corea passed away from a rare form of cancer on February 9, 2021. He was 79 years old and died at his home near Tampa Bay, Florida.

Discography

Awards and Honors

Chick Corea's 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. He also received honorary music degrees from Berklee College of Music and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Chick Corea won an amazing 27 Grammy Awards and was nominated 71 times!

Latin Grammy Awards

Images for kids

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  Corea in 2019

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  Corea in 1976

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  Corea with Al Di Meola and Return to Forever in Rochester, New York, 1976

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  Bobby McFerrin and Corea at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2008

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  Corea performs with Béla Fleck on March 1, 2008

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  Chick Corea's 75th birthday. Corea and John McLaughlin, Blue Note Jazz Club, New York City, December 10, 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Chick Corea para niños